Warmth
by justdoodlingaround
Summary: A group of pillagers have a Sheikah warrior surrounded, ready to kill her and plunder her valuables. Forced to battle against the icy winds and these four dangerous men, how will the Sheikah fare? Zelda disguised as Sheik. Oneshot.


_**Author's note: This story is inspired by the wonderful Bookwrm389 and her "Shadow of the Hero" story. I highly recommend you check it out.**_

The lone Sheikah warrior stood in a low crouch, surrounded by four pillagers. The wind of Hyrule Field was relentless today. Icy air seemed to come from the direction of Zora's Domain.

"You best be givin' us yer wallet. Give us your wallet and we got no problem here." The man wielded a rusted sword, had two large front teeth and an even larger nose.

Cold. Zelda constantly felt it around her. During the days when the sun wasn't concealed it wasn't too bad. But when the sun set and Ganondorf's castle stood solemnly against the night sky, it was as if something was piercing into Zelda's very spine, allowing a perpetual coldness to generate within her very bones.

"You best be givin' us yer wallet," the man repeated himself when he received no response from the Sheikah.

Perched on the balls of her feet, Zelda absently rubbed the tips of her fingers together. They were numb.

Genesis of the chill could be found everywhere. ReDeads crowding what was once the jolly Castle Town Market. Poes haunting the Kakariko Graveyard.

_And Zora's Domain..._Zelda knew she wasn't imagining the cold that seemed to exude from the area. She had been on her way to investigate before the pillagers had stopped her.

But amongst all the sources of cold, Zelda had yet to find any solace. She had no source of warmth. Even in the blistering heat of the Death Mountain Crater loomed the same ominous feeling that caused Zelda to shudder for unknown reasons. The darkness that prevailed everywhere caused her heart to ache.

"That's right you skinny lil' bastard, listen to Niko here and you don't get hurt." The second man was stout, spoke with a snarl and held a large wooden club.

Underneath the shrouds of her mask, a grimace tainted Zelda's features. _Oh trust me, I definitely won't be the one getting hurt._

As the four large men circled the Sheikah, visibly closing in on her, Zelda surreptitiously eased three throwing knives from where they were concealed into the practiced fingers of her right hand. She let her left hand casually hover above a dagger concealed within her bindings.

"So what's it going to be boy? You going to give us your valuables or are we gonna hafta rip off that mask and mess up your face?"

"Ha," the Sheikah scoffed, "There's no way you're gonna make my face look as ugly as all of you!"

"Harggh! Take that back you dirt-"

"Niko! Enough!" The third man that spoke seemed to be the leader of the pack. The tallest, and by far the thickest, he had a wide face and a haughty expression. "Give us your valuables! NOW!" He emphasized his last word by curtly swinging the sizable sword he held.

Zelda merely straightened from her crouched position and lazily arched her back, stretching. She made no indication of planning to grant the plunderers their wishes.

"FINE!" growled Niko, glancing at his leader.

The large pillage leader gave his comrade a nod. "After him!" he cried.

The first man to reach her came at Zelda from behind. Feeling the man's heavy footsteps pounding against the ground, Zelda turned and slashed diagonally with her left hand, the serrated edges of the dagger sliced easily through the man's flesh. As the stout man cried out in pain, dropping to his back, Zelda hurled one of her throwing knives at the one they called Niko. The knife planted itself in Niko's throat and with a gurgle he dropped heavily to the ground.

A grunt sounded from behind her and Zelda dropped to both hands and kicked her feet out behind her, catching the man she had slashed across the chest in a swift kick to the head. With two knives still pressed flat against her palms, the Sheikah risked a glance backwards to find the man slump to the ground, unconscious.

She looked up and found the remaining two plunderers now situated on opposite sides of her, clearly readying themselves to attack her at the same time.

Without any warning, the lead plunderer charged at her from the front. She heard the other man let out a cry as he began to charge at her from behind. Hurling her last remaining knives at the large man in front of her, she side-stepped quickly, throwing all her body weight into elbowing the man behind her in the face. A yelp followed the crack of a broken nose.

The man however was not yet defeated. Angrily he raised his sword above his head and swung down hard, aiming for the Sheikah's head. Zelda narrowly dodged it, stumbling back at the last minute. Settling into a battle stance, she ripped a long iron chain from her belt, wrapping the length of it around her hands.

The Sheikah turned towards the lead plunderer. She spied a cut on his left cheek where one of her throwing knives must have grazed him. She watched him rip the other knife out from where it was lodged just beneath his collarbone.

Seemingly recovered, the leader lunged for her with his sword. "KILL HIM!" he growled, cutting through the air horizontally, meaning to slice Zelda across her midsection.

Jumping back, she saw the man with the bulbous nose – now broken – come at her from her left side. She raised her chain and pulled it taut just in time, blocking the man's strike from above. Shoving upwards with the heavy chain the man stumbled and gave the Sheikah the opportunity to plant her foot into his gut. Throwing him back with her powerful kick, the man gasped, utterly winded. The man's head was thrown back from the impact and a loud crack signalled his skull slamming against a boulder on the ground.

Zelda flinched. She usually didn't resort to killing her foes unless she had to. The Sheikah shuddered involuntarily. Whether from the cold or the gore she didn't know.

Momentarily distracted, the leader of the group, and Zelda's only remaining foe, raised his enormous sword and slashed at Zelda's hip, slicing through flesh and hitting bone.

Zelda screamed. No longer able to support her right leg, she collapsed to the ground, blocking the man's next strike with her chain.

Now with the upper hand, the pillager was relentless. Strike after strike left the Sheikah rolling around on the cold hard ground, struggling to avoid death. Goosebumps crawling all over Zelda's flesh, she was forced her to stay on the defensive, using only her chain to block the man's strikes.

Once or twice Zelda tried to sweep the man's feet from beneath him but his heavy stature prevented her from bringing him down. Her arms were numb now and she couldn't even feel the cold metal of the chain she gripped so desperately in her hands. With a battle cry, the man swung down with all his might toward the ground-stricken Sheikah. Frantically, Zelda pulled the chain taut and tried to resist the strike. The resounding sound of metal clashing against metal rang through Zelda's ears and she knew that her chain would snap at any moment. Seeming to be aware of this as well, the plunderer only pushed harder with his sword, the blade now inches from Zelda's forehead.

After a few moments of struggle, the man pushed off against the chain, momentarily relieving Zelda of his brute strength, only to swing down with even more force.

Keeping her grip firm and bracing her arms for the shock of the strike, Princess Zelda, disguised as Sheik of the Sheikah, squeezed her eyes shut, and prepared herself for the blow that would kill her.

The man swung downwards with such power that Zelda could hear the wind howl against the blade. Eyes still closed, she tilted her chin upwards to the sky, in a silent beckon to the Goddesses.

And then she felt it. The chain reverberated as the plunderer's sword made its connection. Instead of a mighty swing however, the sword weakly clanged against the chain. Opening her eyes, Zelda saw the plunderer standing before her, an arrow protruding from his forehead.

The Goddesses had answered her.

Another arrow followed and caught the man in his open mouth. Sword dropping from his hands, the man fell forwards and toppled onto Zelda, dead.

Zelda gasped. She turned her head at the sound of footsteps and saw a pair of brown boots running through the grass towards her.

"Sheik! I'm coming!"

Raising her eyes, Zelda looked upon the familiar face of the Hero of Time.

_Link._

The Hero shoved the body off of Zelda and eased her into a sitting position. "Goddesses," Link breathed, "Sheik, I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner. Are you okay?"

Zelda nodded and met his sapphire gaze.

Link's anxious expression softened and he pressed his lips into a thin line. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her into an embrace.

"It's okay. I'm here".

_Yes. You are. _Zelda slowly wrapped her arms around Link's neck and rested her head against his shoulders. She felt him shiver slightly when she pressed her fingertips against the back of his exposed neck.

"Hey, we should get you out of here. You're bleeding." Link murmured into her hair.

Zelda ignored him and buried her face deeper into his tunic. As the cold air continued to buffet their bodies around in the open plain, Zelda sunk deeper into Link's arms. Slowly the feeling returned to her fingers, and Zelda welcomed the prickling sensation that trailed along her arms. She didn't feel the iciness of the ground below her, nor did she even remotely feel the freezing wind as it whipped against her face. The princess in disguise didn't feel cold at all.

Zelda shuddered convulsively. This time however, it was not from the cold or the gore of killing, but from relief. As another gust of icy wind hit them and Zelda felt the hair raise on the back of her hero's neck, Zelda realized that after seven years of cold, raw fear, she had finally discovered her source of warmth.

**Author's note: Cover art is by called "Sheik Attacks" by shadow2209 on deviantart.**

_**Please leave a review, I would love your feedback.**_


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